im going to purchase another laptop soon. right now im not interested im certain models but im looking to see your pros and cons for each. i heard that macs can now run windows which makes me lean towards it.

please feel free to share your experiences. thanks in advance.

 

I have a mac and it is great...it can run windows programs. It is much better than a PC, and i have owned both of them. Its not even close, the mac is way better. I have had mine for aobut 2 years and havent had one problem with it. They have much better virus protection and firewall and i have been very pleased.

Go with a mac!

 

thanks alot. i forgot to ask if you guys could maybe post some differences between the two. i kno some of them but many of you actually have owned them both.

 

im not a computer nerd or anything so ill lay it out it basic terms.

-The mac is a lot faster
-Its a lot easier to navigate
-Great virus protection- Firewall
-Never get any popups..never
-You can get windows programs so you get the luxury of the mac and you can have the windows programs...becaue macs do have less programs.
-Works great with Ipod and Itunes (PCs are compatible too, but macs are made for it, but yeah they both have this ability)
-They are a lot more fun to use

 

awesome. cmon guys i kno more of you have some input as well

 

I'm on a iMag G3 (i know.. HELLLLLLA OLD) but it still runs like a champ. I'm running OSX Tiger (latest version of OSX) on it and it runs without any problems. If you can do without a lot of games (Macs have most of the really good PC title's out there also) then a Mac will do you well. I love the OSX interface and the fact that the Intel Macs can run windows also. Steve Jobs has made given the consumer NO reason to not choose a Mac. I swear man.. that guy is the greatest.

 

-The mac is a lot faster
How do you figure? PC's have been faster for years and still are. Especially when you get into dual core/dual processor/overclocking.
-Its a lot easier to navigate
I think XP is a lot easier to navigate than MacOS...this is an opinion.
-Great virus protection- Firewall
As long as you keep updates recent, you won't have problems. And recently, viruses have been being developed for macs. I run Linux though, so absolutely no chance of a virus.
-Never get any popups..never
Neither do I on my windows machine. I use Deepnet Explorer and the pop up killer works great
-You can get windows programs so you get the luxury of the mac and you can have the windows programs...becaue macs do have less programs.
Luxury of the mac? Why not just buy a computer that the programs were actually meant to run on.
-Works great with Ipod and Itunes (PCs are compatible too, but macs are made for it, but yeah they both have this ability)
Yea, the PC works just as well with iTunes and iPods.
-They are a lot more fun to use
Again, this is an opinion. I find macs very aggrivating to use.

I, of course, am a PC guy if you couldn't tell. Here are some Pro-PC arguments:

-Cheaper, both initial cost (unless you buy a very high-end machine) and when replacing parts.
-Have you ever tried gaming on a mac? If you take a mac to a LAN gaming party, I would be extremely surprised if you don't get laughed out.
-90-95% of the programs developed are designed to run on PC's. Yes, you can run them on macs, but the performance won't be as good because of the interfaces.
-If you have a problem with your mac, it will generally cost you a lot more to get it serviced somewhere
-Better graphics. It used to be the case the macs had better graphics processors, but with the new high-end video cards out for pc's, they blow mac out of the water.

 

if you can afford the mac go for it. yeei

 

uck. Macs suck. I mean for jeebus sake, to eject a disc you have to drag it to the trash bin! I don't want to erase my data, just eject the damn disc!

Unless you are doing rendering, don't get a mac. It's pointless otherwise. The PC is far better for pretty much everything else. Mac's are like the AOL of computers. And yes I will vouch for gamers by saying that yes, you will get laughed at if you bring one to a lanparty. Severely. And possibly get food thrown at you.

 

Get a Mac, you won't be sorry...

I used to be a pc guy, never again. once you go Mac, you'll never go back

 

I just bought a new compaq laptop from best buy, It works real good, and I have a hp desktop, but when my desktop is ready for replacement I will buy a apple product .I don't care what it costs, I do not play games on computers so I want simple easy to use programs and I am sick of using spyware and firewalls and virus protection. I will go mac and I SHOULD HAVE SPENT THE MONEY ON A MAC LAPTOP. but my laptop was 700.00 versus 1400 .00 so at the time 700.00 was practical. and I carry this laptop in a suitcase up and down the railroad tracks and If I damage it ( hopefully not) I won't feel like I have lost as much.

 

-The mac is a lot faster
How do you figure? PC's have been faster for years and still are. Especially when you get into dual core/dual processor/overclocking. Overclocking to me is like letting the engine oil and trans fluid out of your car for weight reduction. you might lose a few pounds and go faster for a minute but its no good for longevity
-Its a lot easier to navigate
I think XP is a lot easier to navigate than MacOS...this is an opinion. true it is a matter of opinion and my opinion is that mac is easier
-Great virus protection- Firewall
As long as you keep updates recent, you won't have problems. And recently, viruses have been being developed for macs. I run Linux though, so absolutely no chance of a virus. but with a mac you dont have to tell your computer to update everyday or allow certain programs you install to run every five minutes
-Never get any popups..never
Neither do I on my windows machine. I use Deepnet Explorer and the pop up killer works great but wouldnt it be great if you didnt have to have this added as third party software, wouldnt it be better if this came with the stock programs so computer illiterates could use it too
-You can get windows programs so you get the luxury of the mac and you can have the windows programs...becaue macs do have less programs.
Luxury of the mac? Why not just buy a computer that the programs were actually meant to run on. macs cant run some programs that windows can true, which is why we now can run windows. BUT on the the other hand mac runs alot of programs both available and not available for pc much better
-Works great with Ipod and Itunes (PCs are compatible too, but macs are made for it, but yeah they both have this ability)
Yea, the PC works just as well with iTunes and iPods. iTunes is just the tip of the iceberg. We also have iMovie which has all features needed to edit and produce movie for free, i Dvd which allows you to custom make DVDs with changable menus and styles. i photo a free photo storage and editer program. yes Windows movie maker comes free on most pcs, but it doesnt work the same. i life will give you the features of costly adobe programs and best of all you dont have to steal them
-They are a lot more fun to use
Again, this is an opinion. I find macs very aggrivating to use. again opinion as was said mine is obvious

I, of course, am a Mac guy if you couldn't tell. Here are some ANTI-PC arguments:

-Cheaper, both initial cost (unless you buy a very high-end machine) a ferrari cost much more than a honda but people still buy them because they perform

-Have you ever tried gaming on a mac? If you take a mac to a LAN gaming party, I would be extremely surprised if you don't get laughed out. they might laugh at first but you will have the last laugh when they need to constantly reset to make a game work, laughter isn't a good buying guide
-90-95% of the programs developed are designed to run on PC's. Yes, you can run them on macs, but the performance won't be as good because of the interfaces. mac software has many programs that match or exceed the programs mentioned
-If you have a problem with your mac, it will generally cost you a lot more to get it serviced somewhere if you have a problem if. apple has helpful representatives online at apple.com that can walk you through 80% of your issues, if not take it to a mac store and they will get it fixed.
-Better graphics. Without having to spend as much as your computer costs on the new high-end video cards out for pc's, which match a mac in the water.

-style look at the ipod compared to a toshiba or dell mp3 player the design looks so much better its a must have, all macs have been designed tough and still looking like there not coming from toys r us like a lot of pc towers.


if its quality and diversity you want to have spend a few extra dollars for something that will perform and you will enjoy using. If its a quick buy and you like the ctrl-alt-delete buttons buy a pc.

 

Overclocking to me is like letting the engine oil and trans fluid out of your car for weight reduction. you might lose a few pounds and go faster for a minute but its no good for longevity.
If you think about it from the gamer's standpoint, by the time the equipment will be broken from overstressing it, the tech is obsolete and needs to be replaced/upgraded anyways and has little to no resale value.
my opinion is that mac is easier.
Easier does not necessarily mean better. Its easier to pump a bunch of crap off the assembly line than to take the time and effort to think about building a quality system.
with a mac you dont have to tell your computer to update everyday or allow certain programs you install to run every five minutes.
Um, how do you think macs update? automatically, which are programs that run frequently, which you can also do on a pc OS.
wouldnt it be great if you didnt have to have this added as third party software, wouldnt it be better if this came with the stock programs so computer illiterates could use it too.
The reason mac's have less popups is cuz the advertisers don't bother writing code in macOS, also the same reason most viruses aren't in mac format, they don't care. It's not worth their time or effort.
macs cant run some programs that windows can true, which is why we now can run windows. BUT on the the other hand mac runs alot of programs both available and not available for pc much better.
Any of the programs that mac has that run faster, pc's have about 80 other programs that can do the same or better and faster. Macs have like 15% of the software market. Why do you think they offer windows on macs now? Cuz alot of mac owners realized they want a pc but don't want to have to buy a new computer.
-Works great with Ipod and Itunes (PCs are compatible too, but macs are made for it, but yeah they both have this ability)
iTunes is just the tip of the iceberg. We also have iMovie which has all features needed to edit and produce movie for free, i Dvd which allows you to custom make DVDs with changable menus and styles. i photo a free photo storage and editer program. yes Windows movie maker comes free on most pcs, but it doesnt work the same. i life will give you the features of costly adobe programs and best of all you dont have to steal them.
For every rediculously expensive program out on pc's there are about 3-6 free programs that do the exact same thing and most of the time have the exact same programming as well.

a ferrari cost much more than a honda but people still buy them because they perform.
Why buy a civic when you can get a tC?! Yay baby!

they might laugh at first but you will have the last laugh when they need to constantly reset to make a game work, laughter isn't a good buying guide.
If you know what you are doing that will never happen. Not to mention you can't play 98% of games on a mac vs a pc.
mac software has many programs that match or exceed the programs mentioned.
Name one.
If you have a problem if. apple has helpful representatives online at apple.com that can walk you through 80% of your issues, if not take it to a mac store and they will get it fixed.
90% of pc issues can be solved by going onto a forum and finding out how to fix it yourself for free. vs. paying for "customer service" for a computer which usually takes like a week and heaven forbid you gotta send your computer to them in the mail.
Better graphics. Without having to spend as much as your computer costs on the new high-end video cards out for pc's, which match a mac in the water.
I'mma call BS on this one. Graphics cards out now that can run any game on the market cost $150 tops. High end ones cost about $300. I got my card for $60 and it runs every game I have perfectly at the highest settings. Show me a mac that can run the high end games that costs $60.

look at the ipod compared to a toshiba or dell mp3 player the design looks so much better its a must have, all macs have been designed tough and still looking like there not coming from toys r us like a lot of pc towers.
Style is a matter of personal taste. and a Mac is not an ipod. I dunno what pc's you've been looking at, but most of the ones I see are made of steel and aluminum cases. Not too much in toysRUS like that. Macs look like they came right off the lot at a fisherprice playground playset factory. Even ipods look like they'll scratch/crack if you breathe wrong. That's why there's so many frickin' different cases on the market for it. Not to mention you can customize a pc easily. Try customizing a mac without voiding the warrenty or cracking plastic/modding it reversibly.

if its quality and diversity you want to have spend a few extra dollars for something that will perform and you will enjoy using. If its a quick buy and you like the ctrl-alt-delete buttons buy a pc.
Um, minus the ctrl-alt-delete part, that just described a mac. The quick easy buy for someone who doesn't know much about computers. If you have any tech savy at all and want performance you'll get a pc. (just don't get Dell or hp/compaq or gateway built computers, they kinda suck. Personally I built my pc myself.)

 

Look in the end you need to test both out for yourself. I use both platforms on a daily basis. I have been using macs for about 12 years and pc's for 14. You can do more with PC's and they are cheaper. Macs while being more expensive can go longer without being upgraded. . . still subject to change since the newer macs are running intel dual core proccessors.

on a side note, the newest macs with the intel dual core proccessor can run windows on a separate partition.

I don't really care which one I use, it's more of a question of what will suit your needs. I've been an illustrator for about five or six years, and the few clients I have don't know what the hell they want, let alone mac or PC. My best opinion/suggestion is go to a place where both are available to try and kinda of do a side by side test. GO from there. IF you have the money buy both. I know, I don't have the money so I bought my G4 powerbook, g3 tower, g4 dual 800 tower. and a pc laptop, and I built my two pc towers. All in all I spent mega bucks on the macs and a few hundred on the PC's both are good for their own things, but I still prefer mac over fisher price windows. Good luck with it all!

 

Well, as a side note, can everyone tell who is who on the PC vs Mac debate?

Windows GUY: OMG Macs suck!! They are expensive!! They dont have good software!! They're slow!! And the OS is weird!!!!

Mac Guy: Hey, Windows is nice for being cheaper, and has more programs available- but a Mac is just *nicer*.

Notice a pattern here?

 

that's usually how it goes, most of my IT friends say I'm "MACtarded" but they give me nods for still being versed in PC's. MOst of the people I know who work in the arts/entertainment industry could careless what they use as long as the job gets done. Like I said before personal preference and monitary funds are usually what people end up going with. I myself say just get both if you have the money and who cares what anyone else says just as long as you (the user) is happy.

 

Let me address some topics here:

Macs are SLOWER/FASTER than PCs.
Except for PowerMacs, all Macintosh computers have an Intel chip inside them, which runs at the same speed as a Windows PC. They can run Windows, Linux, and OS X natively. Obviously more is better, even if you're paying a bit more to get that.

Navigation is better/worse in XP/OS X.
Set all of your views in OS X as COLUMN and navigation is far, far faster. If you prefer a folder view, that's there, too. Expose' is nice enough that Microsoft copied it in Vista. All in all, this is 100% opinion.

Viruses, spyware, etc.
Obviously, on a PC you cannot go online without A) firewall B)spyware blocker C) anti-virus D) something OTHER THAN Internet Explorer. Viruses on a Mac are possible, yes, and have been seen in laboratory settings. Compare that with the number of Windows viruses out there. Spyware? The majority of spyware comes through Active X and user stupidity. There is no Active X (it's from Microsoft BTW) on a Macintosh. There are some pieces of spyware which will execute in ANY browser, but they mainly target Windows, and would not work on a Mac.

Macs have less applications
All Intel Macs can run all Windows applications AND MacOS applications.

Macs are more expensive
If you're talking about the PowerMacs, yes... they are more expensive. So are Alienwares. And Falcon Northwests. Premium brand = premium price. If you talk about the iMac, MacMini and their laptops, most reviewers find Macs to be CHEAPER than their Windows counterparts.

Macs are harder to upgrade
This one is too easy- aside from the motherboard, all Macs use standard PC parts and can be swapped out with standard PC parts.

Macs and not easily serviced and cost more to be repaired
If you have an Apple store in the area, having it looked at is only a drive away. Mac forum members are also helpful. Costs more to be repaired? They're using PC parts!!!

Macs have less options for video
Because a GeForce 7800GT and a NVIDIA Quadro® FX 4500 arent enough. ATI also has their X800 line, if ATi is your flavor of choice. The video cards in their PowerBooks and iMacs arent too shabby, either.

I mean for jeebus sake, to eject a disc you have to drag it to the trash bin! I don't want to erase my data, just eject the damn disc!
You can also right click the CD and select eject. You can press Apple+E to eject......... or HEY, HOW ABOUT PRESSING THE EJECT BUTTON ON THE KEYBOARD

yes I will vouch for gamers by saying that yes, you will get laughed at if you bring one to a lanparty. Severely.
Just like when one attends a black-hat conference, you will be laughed at for using Windows. Or Dell. Severely.

Easier does not necessarily mean better. Its easier to pump a bunch of crap off the assembly line than to take the time and effort to think about building a quality system.
Funny, that's the line that Mac users usually state about PC boxes.

Not to mention you can't play 98% of games on a mac vs a pc.
Once again......... All Intel Macs can run all Windows applications AND MacOS applications.

mac software has many programs that match or exceed the programs mentioned.
Name one.
Mac the Ripper, Popcorn, Toast, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, iCal, GarageBand, Brickhouse......... you did want one that matches or exceed a Windows app, right? Oh, and see above about Windows apps, please.

Macs look like they came right off the lot at a fisherprice playground playset factory.
Yeah, that's why Jonathan Ives (the lead designer for Apple) has won awards for industrial design working with Apple.

The quick easy buy for someone who doesn't know much about computers.
.... is obviously a Windows machine, which is in every PC and electronics store in the country.



Really, just go to a Mac store and play around for a few minutes, then ask someone to show you what they can do. Be sure to bring in a couple of your CDs, a digital camera, a vid camera, and what you'd like to play with. Really....... they'll let you do almost anything there. I've even spent a couple of hours in the store, creating a wedding video for a friend who needed one ASAP.

 

Alot of people hate on mac's but they are ignorant or just like things the hard way. Get the new 15 in. Powerbook that can run Windows.

 

no you don't...there is an eject button on the keyboard, just push it and the disc comes out immediately

 

he said that already, he was just pointing out what most people say and his answers for them.

I hope this doesn't go any farther with the macs are better then PC's. I've had enough of those arguements, I was waiting for the day that one could run both OS's which has happend already bytheway. Oh well.